Monday, November 11, 2013

Mandatory Safety Training on the Globally Harmonized System (G.H.S.)

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. Safety Coordinators: 
OSHA has revised their hazard communication standard with the addition of a program called the “Globally Harmonized System” or G.H.S. This system is to help improve the communication of chemical hazards to the employees or workers that use them in a concise clear format.  Some reasons for the G.H.S. program are because chemicals are produced and shipped throughout the world and the chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets all come in different formats.  Under the new system, all labels and Safety Data Sheets must all be produced in English, be in the same consistent format and all contain the same elements on the labels and Safety Data Sheets.  The labels and S.D.S. sheets are to make it easier for people who are illiterate (can’t read) or for people of different languages to understand them.  They are also adding Pictograms to all labels and Safety Data Sheets.  Pictograms are simply symbols that represent either a physical hazard, a health hazard or environmental hazard.  It is mandatory that employers provide training on this new program by December 1st, 2013.  This is where we need your help.  
There are 3 main components to the G.H.S. program:
1.       Hazard Classification
2.       Container Labels
3.       Safety Data Sheets  (formerly called Material Safety Data Sheets)  

We have inserted 4 new toolbox talks pertaining to the G.H.S. training into your new Safety Coordinator manuals of which you should have recently received over the past 2 weeks.  We need your help in getting this training done.  We are advising all Safety Coordinators to perform the same toolbox talk this coming Monday, 11/11/13 during your morning toolbox talk session.

All Safety Coordinators – on Monday, 11/11/13, please perform the toolbox talk under the Hazcom Tab which is listed as HH2.  This is a 2-page toolbox talk to help kick off the training as it provides an overview of the G.H.S. program.  On your toolbox talk signature roster, where it says: Topic Name and Number, please write  the following:  Revised Hazcom Standard 2013 G.H.S. – HH2.
After you read the toolbox talk to your crew, as always, please have them sign the roster and turn it in as usual.  

We will be sending out e-mails to all Safety Coordinators over the next 4 weeks providing instructions as to what toolbox talk to perform on the given Monday to help us get this training completed.

We thank you in advance for helping to get this necessary and mandatory training performed over the next few Mondays.
 
We will send out another e-mail this Friday, 11/15/13 with information about what toolbox talk everyone should perform on Monday, 11/18/13.  

If you have any questions at all, you are encouraged to call our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689.  

Have a Safe Day!